The Pax Entropica
The Pax Entropica, loosely translated as Peace of Decay, is a military-political organization dedicated to overthrowing the current ruling brutal dictatorship of the Western Empire. The goal of the Pax Entropica is to destroy the Emperor, topple the government, and replace the regime with a government based on elected officials obeying the will of the people. Though many believe that the intentions of the organization is good the methodology is evil: the Pax Entropica routinely uses terror, murder, and wholesale devastation to acheive it's goals. History of the Pax Entropica The Pax Entropica began with one man, a minor noble by the name of Dune Celebdorn. Celebdorn made history during one of the Emperor's annual state of affairs court, when the young Earl took his place on the podium and made a shocking speech to the Emperor and the heads of the state of the Western Empire. The speech was reorded in full. "We live in an Empire that, yes, has granted us scientific, medical, and technological advances that cannot be equalled anywhere else on the continent of Paradigm. But such advancements have come with a price too dear to pay. Men of will have been characterized as traitors for no greater a crime than speaking out against the Emperor. Such men were killed. Woman were declared traitors when they demanded better education and food for their children. They, too, we killed. Even children whom in the eyes of God are always innocent were killed for questioning the rule of law. Those killings must stop. All killings will stop. "The Emperor advances the causes and procolamtions of human superiority at the lives, values, and freedoms of other races. In the Emperor's eyes there are no species to compare with the human species and those whom dare try are to be put down as curs and savages. Whom among us has not had a dream shattered, a loved one murdered, or a hope destroyed by a bellicose and vehement ruler whom himself, by rights, should have died out millennia ago and spared us the horror of his genocidal agenda? Not a one. But this tyranny will go on no longer. We are the Peace of Decay, the Pax Entropica. I am the Lord of Entropy. We will succeed." And with that, Dunael left the court. At first his speech was ridiculed and used as a source of amusement, but that laughter stopped when the Pax Entropica attacked and decimated it's first town, a military complex called North Downs. As the Pax Entropica grew in might, in influence, and in power the Emperor realized that Dunael's 'pretty little speech' was backed with ferocious determination. The Emperor responded by mobilizing the Imperial Malitia, and civil war began. It is a war that has been waging for nearly two years now, with no end in sight. The Pax Entropica Today The Pax Entropica currently has a standing army of an astonishing 5,000 members all made up of a conglomerate of humans, monster races, and Free Peoples that agree with Dunael's cause. The Entropica is currently controlled by six individuals, each of whom controls and organizes a different branch of the orrganization. These Generals are: 1. Dunael Celebdorn, The Lord of Entropy The Lord of Entropy is the founder and leader of the Pax Entropica. He is an Artificer without peer in the Western Empire, using his mastery of qi to develop weapons, armaments, and even weapons of mass destruction with which he has laid waste to eight, and counting, Imperial fortifications, towns, and strongholds. In addition, Duneael is blessed with a potent precognitive ability, able to 'see' and act accordingly to the most logical outcome of any situation. The Lord of Entropy appears on the battlefield in red and silver attire, covering his face with a red and white nogitsune mask from which the entire organization takes its emblem. His primary weapon is a qi infused whip named Bradamiir (W. "Requiem") that can penetrate any manner of armour effortlessly, flames on command, and can fight on its own. 2. Autumn Celebdorn, The Queen of Midnight Autumn is the wife of Duneael and fights by his side with a passion born of unquestioning love and dedication. Autumn is a Mattimeo and is in charge of the quartermastry for the organization, supplying the troops with food and drink and the latest in gear and equipment. Like all Mattimeo she is stunning to look upon, with dark skin, blonde hair, and amber-hued eyes. She is a powerful sorceress and fights with a legendary short sword, Tarmellion, crafted for her by her husband. Tarmellion is able to fight on its own, communicate verbally with its owner, and refuses to allow itself to be wielded by any other individual, even Dunael himself. 3. Y'Nai Fartooth, the Woman of the Stars Nobody is quite sure exactly what species Y'Nai is; she does not correlate with any known species on Zoka. This beautiful lavender haired woman with a long prehensile tail and elongated rabbit-like ears has sworn her loyalty to the Lord of Entropy however, and her past actions have earned his trust. Like her master she is an artificer of expemplary ability, focusing her qi to create high-tech sensors, vehicles, and medicines. A skilled healer and surgeon, it's Y'Nai's responsibility to keep the armies of the Pax Entropica hale and hearty. On the rare ocassions that she joins the battlefield directly, she does soe with a hovering machine armed with flamethrowers and explosives and herself utilizes a large cannon device capable of mowing down foes with blasts of qi energy. 4. Oppinai, The Mistress of Shadows A Spriggan as deadly as she is beautiful, Oppinai is the Pax Entropica's field general. She constantly trains the troops in weapon and defensive combat abilities and keeps them in shape with prodigious amounts of excersize and careful diets. Lady Oppinai, whom will instantly murder anyone whom fails or refuses to use her title, is both greatly respected and feared by the troops of the Pax Entropica. On the battlefiled she wears a suit of form fitted scale mail armour that is as light as cloth but protects like heavy plate, bears a shield capable of emitting a sudden intense burst of light to blind foes, and fights with an icy cold scimitar, named Lathinaise, which inflicts severe frostbite on foes in addition to whatever other damage she may inflict. 5. Sabretooth Though Sabertooth is not the true name of Dunael's massive war orc military advisor, he enjoys the name and sees no reason to be called by his true name. Sabertooth is a highly skilled tactician and war orchestrator, and the countless scars criss-crossing his black flesh attest to his ability to survive. Sabertooth stands an awe-inspiring seven foot two inches tall and weighs 388 pounds. On the battlefield her garbs himself is golden plate armour which is enchanted to repel most weapons, His helm is likewise an artificed creation, enabling him to see into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrum. His primary weapon is a black eog flanged mace named "Mahadur" (O. Slaughter) which can send lines of foes flying with a single blow and can strike the ground to cause small localized seismic events. The Army of the Pax Entropica The army of the Pax Entropica is 5,000 strong, composed of a variety of races that under most normal circumstances would be diametrically opposed. But their absolute belief in the Lord of Entropy's dream and having unshakable faith in Dunael's ability to succeed keeps them together as a well-oiled fighting machine. The majority of the army, 3,000 troops, is composed of Men. From the Al-kabir comes warriors, necromancers, sorcerors, and fighters. From the Western Empire come seasoned soldiers, mercenaries, and healers. From the far and unknown southern lands beyond the Al-Kabir come strange, dark-skinned Southrons bedecked in gold and woad, speaking a foreign language and keeping to themselves. Many men from the Pradamir Savannah and Eastern Dynasty have also come into the Entropic camps, providing much needed archery and Elementalist abilities. A unit of 1,000 Nain have also joined the army, swearing fealty to Dunael with the promise of self-governance when the Lord of Entropy topples the Black Throne and sets his new democratic government in place. They are joined by an equal 1,000 Mattimeo, all of whom have been wronged or victimized by Imperial rule and have become so angry they seeking a dire retribution. Unsurprisingly, these ethereally beautiful Mattimeo have been made welcome by the army, enjoying their eye-candy company and culinary skills. Monster races have also flocked to the banner of the Lord of Entropy. 100 brutal and fight-eager black cave trolls from the Northern Wastes stand primed and ready, their prodigious strength often used to tear down walls and gates of Imperial fortifications. 500 gnolls mingle with the Men, trading shamanistic and combat information. An aloof but versatile and strong 250 Spriggan call the army home-most of them owing allegiance not to Dunael but to Lady Oppai-and with nothing short of amazement the Spriggan have no qualms about sitting down to meals with the 50 Pizkie that have joined the cause. The final 50 are a unit of mounted calvarymen from the Cornish Ogres, whom would love nothing more than to cast off the Imperial Law that marked them as a kill-on-sight race for a war that happened and ended centuries ago so that they can, at last, peacefully integrate into Mannish society. Notable Members of the Army Several individuals have made a name for themselves during the campaign. The Emperor has personally recognized the danger these individuals pose and have posted a bounty of 100 gold coins on each of them, payable to whomever can bring them in alive...or dead. 1. Sargeru of the Al-Kabir There are few people brave enough to be comfortable in the presence of a necromancer. Luckily for them, Sargeru is a Macabre. Born Imnu-eh-tophep in the city of Ayyad, his choice of profession lead to his banishment from his native homeland.. He traveled west to the Empire, where he took up residence in the hamlet of Omohiri as a humble funeral home proprietor. However, rumours of his true calling soon spread throughout the city and though he had done nothing wrong he was tried, found guilty, and slated for execution. On the very day he was to be hanged, Omohiri was laid siege to by the Pax Entropica. When the city fell Sargeru and all of his fellow prisoners were brought before the Lord of Entropy and offered the choice of joining the army or being given provisions and sent on their way. Sargeru chose to remain with his rescuers and quickly rose in the ranks of the army. Currently holding the military title of Captain, Sargeru commands all of the other Faydakeen in the army. He is a slender man in his late fifties, with long salt-and-pepper hair and penetrating eyes. He wears red robes that are possessed by the spirits of the dead which he can unleash to attack his foes. His souls are many: phantasmal warriors, ghostly spear-wielding skeletons, and wailing spectres that can drain the will of anyone they come in contact with. 2. Ensemble Anitique of the Nain Once upon a time, Ensemble was touted as a hero. She was one of the original Blades of Paradigm, travelling the country with her dearest friend Perimi Meadowflower and Raka the Savannah King. But when the adventure ended, Ensemble's life came crashing down around her. She arrived home and was stunned to find her entire family had been unjustly accused of treason by the Emperor and sold into slavery. An even more tragic fate was in store for her; the Emperor had ordered her arrested and scheduled for execution. Ensemble avoided this fate only because of loyal friends within the Imperial Army that warned her of what was coming. She fled, hoping to find Perimi but she found the Pax Entropica first. When Ensemble told Dunael of what had happened to her, the Lord of Entropy ensured her that the grave injustice would not go dismissed, nor would he fail to locate and rescue her family members. In gratitude, Ensemble swore her ax to Dunael and the Pax Entropica cause.Mbr>Ensemble stands four feet nine inches tall, with dark skin and a wild shock of bright red hair. On the combat field she wears black plate armour artificed to be as light as cloth and capable of deflecting any ranged attack. She wields a gigantic war ax as big as she is, which is weightless to her but impossible for anyone other than herself to lift. She still considers herself a friend to Perimi and Raka, and it is uncertain what this Captain of the Nain would do if confronted by them on the field of battle. 3. Beryl of the Mattimeo Beryl has told nobody but Dunael the circumstances of what lead her to join the Pax Entropica. But her hatred for the Empire runs as deep as the snowdrifts of the Frozen North, and she shows no mercy in combat. Oddly enough, Beryl's otherwise unmarred beauty is distorted by her left arm, which is reptilian: the limb is covered in bright gold scales and terminates in four hooked clawed fingers. Whispers around the camps insist that she was made the product of horrific Imperial magical experiments but Beryl has neither confirmed nor denied such rumours. She is instantly recognizable by this arm, and by her form-fitting black chainmail bekini which reveals more than it protects. She fights with a typical Mattimeo warrior's weapon: A kurgir, consisting of a wo foot wooden haft to which a crescent shaped blade has been affixed. She battles with a lightning-fast and lithe acrobatic martial style which puts her miniscule size and amazing speed and agility to good use. Moreover, her greatest weapon is her left arm. She is able to channel a massive amount of qi through her arm, which manifests as a blast of qi energy that strikes with the impact of a cannon ball. 4. Shugrath the War Troll Shugrath was content to live his life deep in the hills of the Western Empire until the day he and his family were captured by Imperial slavers. When his wife refused to cooperate in her new role as a slave, she was executed before the very eyes of Shugrath and his son. Shugrath was sent to the arenas of the city of Malboreth to fight in the gladiatorial arena. Though the life of a gladiator was brutal it at least afforded him the opportunity to take out his rage of the Empire in the arena. When the Pax Entropica attacked the city he was forced to fight on the front lines and was defeated by the Lord of Entropy himself. Dunael, seeing the great potential of the troll, didn't kill him but instead offered him a place in the army. With the rescue of his son in mind, Shugrath agreed. Currently holding the rank of Major, Shugrath battles Imperial forces with the fury of a vengeful nature unleashed. He stands a massive twelve feet in height and weighs nearly a ton of pure muscle and sinew. He refuses to wear armour as a means of showing his contempt for the fighting skills of the Western Empire. His main weapon is a massive maul. 5. Mirreah Arcue In another lifetime, the Pizkie Mirreah Arcue was a proud and decorated officer within the Western Empire war machine. An outrider with few peers, Mirreah became the nemesis of certain unnamed officers within her unit as she was primed to be promoted to the rank of General and given command of her own legion. Weaving a tapestry of lies and deceit born from jelousy, Mirreah was accused of catburglary and court martialed. She ardently defended herself and swore her loyalty to her Emperor but all that passion in the world is no defense against fabricated evidence. She was found guilty, stripped of her rank and entitlements, and sentenced to one year in military prison. This one year sentance became a horrific imprisonment lasting two hundred years. When she was released from prison she emerged a disillusions and embittered woman. Mirreah became a veritable recluse whom quickly gained a reputation among her neighbors as hostile. When the rumours of the Pax Entropica swept across the Western Empire she made the choice of actively seeking the insurgency out and was granted an audience with the Lord of Entropy. Truly moved by Mirreah's story and impressed by her aptitude Dunael accepted her on the spot and, in a move that astonished the Generals, bestowed upon her the rank of colonel. As Mirreah fought alongside Duneael she slowly learned to smile again and then to laugh. Mirreah Arcue is a stunningly beautiful five foot tall pizkie with nut brown skin, a wave of polished silver hair, and almost neon green eyes. She wears a simple brown leather curiass and tan trousers that protect as full plate and furthermore immediately turns any qi attack back upon its caster. She wields a bone and ivory longbow named Quellion (P. "Vengeance") with phenomenal accuracy, she almost never misses her chosen target. For hand-to-hand fighting she employs a pair of sterling silver short swords of artificer make so that they never lose their keen cutting edge, a personal gift from the Lord of Entropy.